14-13 gear struts

Dan,

A while back you recommended to Bernie >>

Dan Cullman said:
Bernie, Hard chroming is the way to repair your gear legs. Measure the top of the tube and you'll find the original diameter, which I believe is 1.848." Hopefully, you can find a shop that can do the machining and hard chroming 'in house.' Remember they must bake it per mil-spec after plating. Dan
Click to expand...

I have a shop finishing up with re-chroming (hard chrome) my 14-13-2 gear struts. They just called and reported that they are done and will have 0.025" of chrome on them. The shop foreman questioned my request to bake them, saying that baking tends to make the chrome brittle. Also he wants to know more than "per mil-spec" for baking instructions.

Can you clarify two things for me? 1) Why do they need to be baked? and 2) "Mil-Spec" baking specification?

thanks, Jeff
 
So my question is HOW MUCH fluid do you put in each gear leg on a 14-13-2? I understand they should be extended but how much fluid should I put in them? :?:
Thanks,
Gary
 
Do you have the 14-13 "Handbook of Instructions?" The procedure is noted there. Bob probably has a reprint if you don't have one. From absolute empty to full takes about 24-30 oz. "fluid." The manual mentions Lockheed #5, however I use 20 SAE oil or 5-30. Seems to work OK for me. Dan
 
Here's kind of a neat trick that we used last time we filled the struts on the cruisair. The book talks about partially retracting the gear (on jacks of course) and filling the struts from the top and then lowering the gear, working the strut up and down to remove air, and then opening the fitting on the front of the srut to let excess fluid out. The local mechanic came up with the idea of putting a small hose barb in the fitting on the front of the gear and running a small hose down into the jug of oleo fluid, we used brake fluid, with the bottom end submerged. Working the strut up and down will force air out on the up stroke and draw fluid back in on the down stroke. Just kept pumping till no more bubbles came out and no more fluid went in, quick and relatively mess free. Of coarse the fluid largely puked out around the old rawhide seals even though we had tightened the packing quite a bit. Got the Buna-N seals yesterday, hopefully can get them in and see how they hold next week. Richard
 
Dan Cullman said:
Jeff, You have a BIG problem...........give me a call. Dan
Click to expand...

Dan, I would be glad to call you > please send me you phone number.

If you want you can use my email that is attached to my club post profile.

jeff
 
I've never tried it myself, and it's been many years, but I seem to remember some guy telling me about using v-ring seals from a hydraulic jack repair house. For fluid he used hydraulic jack oil. It seems like he also said he had had the strut pistons resized by having them metal-sprayed and remachined by a diesel overhaul shop as opposed to chrome plating. If it is possible, I like the idea of the metal-spray repair better. Chrome can chip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top